Outlet box



Feb. 24. 1925.

H. G. KNODERER OUTLET BOX Filed Dec. 31,

Inventor Homer 6. Knoder er His Attorney Patented Feb. 24,- 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

30m G. KNODEBEB, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO! GENERAL ELEC- -TRIO COMPANY, CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

OUTLET BOX.

' Application filed Deceinber a1, 1923. Serial No. 683,550.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, How G. KNonERER, a citizen of the United States, residi at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield, S tate of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in; Outlet Boxes,

.of which the following is a specification- The present invention relates to electric house wiring and more especially to outlet boxes for the-reception of switches 'and other current-controlling devices. a I

It is customary, in order to conceal the electric device, the box, andthe openin in the wall for their reception, to rovige a flush or wall'plate' thereover. his .plate is provided with suitable openings through which project buttons or handles of the wiring device and is accordingly secured directly to the electric device so that the openings in the-former will be inregister with the buttons, handles, etc. In installing boxes in the walls of houses,.it is ordinarily necessary either to adjust the position of the box to bring-its front edge into alignment with the face. of the plaster or else tointroduce blocking out devices between the front edge of the box and the attachment lugs of the electric device, so that upon securing the latter to the box, it will be in position tosupport the. plate against the face of the plaster.

. The blocking out of the electric device from the front edge of the box is objectionable in that an, open gap is left about the electric device unprotected by the box.

Moreover, theblocking-out process and the box-positioning process consumemuch time of skilled workmen to effect.

The ob'ect 'of my invention is the vision 0 an, improved. outlet fbox w ich may be installed without regard to its relation to the face ofthe plaster and the electric device and its wall plate attached thereto without blocking or adjusting, and-uponagainst the front of the merely pressing late the s evera parts will be properly p081- tioned a'j d 'retained against displacement in service.

One embodiment of the, invention is shown in the accompanyin drawing, in whichl FigL 1 (isvaverti of a plastered wall,'an outlet box, electric switch and face plate in their desired relation; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof with part ofthe face platebroken away;

oft 6 between the legs 8 and the central porpers ective view of the box and its wall brac ets', and Fig. 4 is a similar view .of a wall bracket drawn to an enlarged scale.

The outlet box ,1, shown in the drawing, is made of struck up sheet metal with inte ral lugs 2 bent outwardly from the front e gas of its end walls and provided with tapped holes 3. symmetrically with the lugs 2 the end walls of the box are each provided with a pair of parallel guide slots 4 extending from the front to near the rear of the end wall and adapted toslidably receive a wall bracket 5.

The wall brackets 5 are preferably made of s ringy metal, such assteel wire, with a straight central portion 6 lying in one plane, and two U-shaped loops 7 lying in a'parallel plane and respectively connected at one leg 8 .to the ends 6 of the central rtion 6,

while the opposite legs 9 are bent own into central portion 6 will correspon with the spacing between the parallel guide slots 4 so that the'connections 6 between the legs 8 and the central portion 6 wil l register, with said slots and move more or less freely there in withv the central portion 6 engaging the .mner surface, while the U-sha d loops 7 engage the outer surface oft e end wall of the box andthe. loops 10 will bedisposed in the. relative. transverse .movement, while the outer ends 11 are adapted as'be secured to, the framework 12 by screws 13.

The spacin between theparallel planes,

guide slots 4 to hold said parts inwhich'lie -t e central portion 6'and the U- as sha d loops 7, corresponds to the thickness box wall. By bending the connections tion through an acute angl the'latter is made to engage the inside of e box wall in advance of the engagement ofthe legs 8 with the outside thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, and when the screws 13 are turned home in the framework the bracket' 5 is tiltedout: wardly somewhat on the legs '8 as a fulcram and thereby ,a frictional p. is. exerted at the points 14,15 of theinner sides of legs 8 and the central portion 6 u on the opposite surfaces. of the end wall ofe box.

Fig;.-.3 is a By reason of the eent of the central portion 6 being in advance of the engagement of the. leg 8, any outward movement of the box will be .strongly resisted, whereas any inward movement is only slightly resisted,

Upon attaching the electric device 16' by.

brings up against the face of the wall 21 where they are held automatically against .forwardmovement by the gripping action of the wall bracket 5, as above stated.-

.It will thus-be observed that I dispense entirely with special adjusting devices and the trouble incident to their use and obtain a better and firmer'positioning and retention "of the several parts than is possible with a box dependent upon the degreeof care with which its adjusting and holding means are manipulated.

While I have shown and described the best embodiment of the invention known to me, I do not desire to be restricted thereto.

What I claim'as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

v 1. An outlet box provided with wall brackets movabl'ymounted thereon and hav-. 'ing provision for automatically gripping and preventing outward" movement of said the wall thereof,- and wall brackets having a central portiondisposed within said box and fulcrum portions connected with said central-portion through said slots and dis, posed against the outside of's'aid box.

4. An outlet box provided with slots extending forward and-backward inthe Wall thereof and means. for attachment of an electric device and a face plate thereto, and wall brackets slidably mounted in said slots and having provision for automatically gripping and retaining said box against outward movement when displaced inwardly by pressure exerted onthe face plate.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day ofDecember 1923. HOMER G. KNODERER. 

